Side seam for can bodies



J. HENCHERT S IDE SEAM FOR CAN BODIES March 29, 1938,

Filed Sept. 15, 1937 v a 1:3 1: illmfimdwmuiw was , Patented Mar. 29,1938 I a I v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,112,670 I smr. sum FOR CANBODIES John Henchert, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Continental CanCompany, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationSeptember 15, 1937, Serial No. 164,080

6 Claims. (01. 220-76) The invention relates generally to metal recep-Figure 4 is a central vertical section of a can tacles and has for anobject to provide a novel body looking toward the side seam. side seamconstruction for can bodies which will Figure 5 is an enlarged detailhorizontal section not readily collapse due to handling or shipping,taken on the line 5-5 on Figure e and illustrat- 5 or during the closingor opening of the same, and ing a solderless side seam. 5

which is capable of withstanding the high inter- Figure 6 is a detailvertical longitudinal section nal pressures to which containers for someprodtaken on the line 6-6 onFigure 5. nets are subjected. Figure '7 is aview similar to Figure 5 illustrat- It is well known that containersemploying the ing a soldered side seam.

standard lock side scam, in which the ends of Figure 8 is a detailvertical longitudinal section 10 the blank are brought together in theform of taken on theline 88 on Figure 7. outer and inner reverselydirected hooks, fre- In forming a can body embodying my imquently openor collapse at the seam when presproved side seams, I employ a bodyblank 5 of sure is applied at the outside of the container. generallyrectangular form as shown in Figure 1,

This crushing strain too readily causes the inand this blank may benotched at the corners as 15 terlocked hooks to slideapart in thedirection of at 6 in accordance with the usual practice in the thecrushing strain, or to hinge outwardly, even making of lock and lapseams. rupturing the solder bond in solder bonded seams Closely adjacentthe blank edge which is to of this type. The invention therefore seeksto form the outer hook I provide a series ofequlprovide a side seam ofthe general character distantly spaced rectangular apertures 1 extend-20 stated in which the interlocking hook and body ing parallel saidedge, so that when the lock portions are equipped with novelinterlocking lug flange 8 is bent up, as indicated in Figure 2 of theand aperture equipments requiring no more metal drawing, the apertureswill be disposed in the than is required in the standard seams referredlock flange adjacent the juncture of said flange to but which definitelyprevent collapsing or and the body metal from which it is bent. See 25opening up of the seam due to crushing strains Figure 5.

from without, or high internal pressures, said The blank end which is toform the other or equipments being effective in unscldered as well innerhook is equipped with a series oflocking as in solder bonded seams. orabutment lugs 9 corresponding in size and In its more detailed nature,the invention respacing with the apertures 8 previously described. 30sides in the provision of a can body having a novel These lugs arestamped through at three sides, side seam and formed from a blankequipped remaining integrally joinedat the side toward along its outerhook forming edge, and in the the main body metal of the blank so as todirect inwardly directed hook flange proper, with a the hinged or freeedgelug portions toward the row of rectangular lug receiving apertures,and adjacentedge of the blank. The lugs 9 are spaced 35 in the body Walladjacent the inner hook forming a greater distance from the edge of theblank edge with a row of stamped lugs having free ends than are theapertures 8 so that when the lock directed toward said edge and beingadapted for flange ill is bent up, as indicated in Figure 2 ofinterfitting and locking in said apertures. the drawing, said lugs willlie, not in the lock With the above and other objects in View thatflange proper, but in the blank body wall opposed 40 will hereinafterappear, the nature of the into the lock flange and'with the free ends ofthe vention will be more fully imderstood by followlugs 9 directedtoward the hinged portion or bend ing the detailed description, theappended claims, of the lock flange.

and the several views of the accompanying draw- Thus when the blankis'shaped into cylindrical ing. form, bringing the lock flanges ininterlocking 45 In the drawing: relation, as shown in Figure 3, therewill be pre- Flgure 1 is'a plan view of a blank from which sented anouter hook having an inwardly dia can body embodying the invention isformed. rected lock flange 8, and an inner hook having Figure 2 is anupper edge view of the blank an outwardly directed lock flange in, said:lock after the hooks have been bent at the ends flanges 8 and I0 beingintended ultimatelyto 5o thereof. 1 interlock in the relation shown inFigure 5.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary somewhat diagram- After the lock flanges havebeen brought tomatic perspective view showing hook portions of gether asdiagrammatically indicated in Figure 3, the blank brought'together ininterengaging relathe. seam is completed by the usual bumping option.eration during which the lugs 9 are bent up into 55 thereceiving'apertures 10 as shown in Figure 5 of the drawing. The freeends of the higs may be forced into the metal of the lock .flange III,as indicated at ii in Figure 5, to compensate for "spring bac of saidlugs, thus assuring that said free ends will not rise free of theaperture walls and bring about failure of the intended interlocking ofparts such as will permit collapsing of the container. Obviously,engagement of the three free edges of each lug I against the ends andside wall of each aperture 8 efl'ectively locks the seam againstcollapsing due to compressive strains, and also greatly strengthens theseam against expansive pressures from within the container. The seamshown in Flgures and 6 has been found to be. quite an eflicientsoiderless seam. Solder bonding can, of course, be resorted to wheneverdesired.

In Figures 7 and 8 of the drawing I have illustraied a solder bondedseam. "This seam is identical with the one shown in Figures 5 and 6except that a solder bonding I2 is flowed into the seam, by capillaryaction, from inside or outside the seam, in the usual manner. In thistype of seam thelugs 0 may be forced into the receiving apertures Ithroughout the full length of the lugs as emphasized at It in Figure 7,and the metal wall portions defining the apertures in the form of arounded bend, as indicated at I in Figure 5, may be eliminated ordisplaced as shown in. Figure '7, to provide lever or lug portions l5engaging the can body as shown in Fig ure 7. The lugs 9 and the portionsII are solder bonded in the positions shown and greatly strengthen" theseam against compressive and expansive strains.

' The novel seam herein disclosed is extremely simple in constructionand yet presents remarkable advantages by reason of its ability toresist great compressive and expansive strains without rupture. Thisseam requires no more metal than is necessarily employed in standardforms of lock seams. The specific shape of interlocking ins and apertureequipment herein shown has been found to operate very efliciently, butit is to be understood that the specific shapes of these parts may bealtered without departing from the spirit of the'invention as expressedin the appended claims.

By eliminating the bend it shown in Figure 5, in the manner shown inFigure 7, the seam thickness is reduced from four to three at thepositions of the lugs 9. 'Ihis decreases the lever arm of thecircumferential force (present in a container under internal pressure)by an amount equal to one thickness of plate, thereby increasing thestrength of the seam.

hook having an inwardly directed lock flange and an inner hook having abody wallportion and an outwardly directed lock flange interlocked withthe lock flange of the outer hook, said inwardly directed lock flangehaving formed therein a plurality of apertures, and lock lugs struck upfrom said body wall to interlock in said apertures, said lock lugs beingpartially indented in the body of the outwardly directed lock flange andshaped to snugly fit said apertures.

3. A can body side seam comprising an outer hook having an inwardlydirected lock flange and an inner hook having a body wall portion and anoutwardly directed lock flange interlocked with the lock flange of theouter hook, said inwardly directed lock flange having formed therein aplurality of apertures, and lock lugs stamped up from said body wallportion and interlocking in said apertures, said lock lugs beingdirected toward the iuncture'of said body wall portion and saidoutwardly directed lock flange.

4. A can body side seam comprising an outer hook having an inwardlydirected lockflange and an inner hook having a body wall portion and anoutwardly. directed lock flange interlocked with the lock flange of theouter hook, said inwardly directed lock flange having portions removedtherefrom to form a plurality of rectangular apertures therein, and locklugs the same in number and shape as said apertures stamped through atthree sides in said body wall and struck up therefrom to interlock insaid apertures with the free portions thereof directed toward thejuncture of said body wall and said outwardly directed lock flange andengaging both laterally and longitudinally in said apertures.

5. A can body side seam comprising an outer hook having an inwardlydirected lock flange and an inner hook having a body wall portion and anoutwardly directed lock flange interlocked with the lock flange of theouter hook, said inwardly directed lock flange having formed therein aplurality of apertures disposed adjacent the juncture of the inwardlydirected lock flange with the remainder of the outer hook, and lock lugsstamped in said body wall portion, and forcedup into interlockingrelationin said apertures throughout the whole length of said lugsdisplacing the juncture portions of the inwardly directed flangedefining the inner limits of said apertures to form lever portionsoverlying an'd engagin said body wall portion.

6. A can body blank comprising a generally rectangular body formed alongone seam forming edge with a plurality of rectangular apertures disposedparallel said edge, and a corresponding number of lock lugs of a shapefor snugly fitting said apertures stamped in the body metal inwardlyfrom the other seam forming edge and including free portions directedtoward said other edge, said apertures being disposed close to the blankedge thereadjacent so that they will be included in a lock flange formedalong said edge, and said lugs being spaced inwardly from-the blank edgethereadjacent a greater distance so that they will be close to butexcluded from a lock flange formed along that edge.

JOHN HENCHERT.

